


Misfit for Survival

by FoxWitch



Category: One Piece
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fish Sticks, M/M, Slow Burn, Strawhats being Strawhats, Vinsmokes being assholes, Violence, human Zoro, merman Sanji, merman au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-09-30 23:12:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17232938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxWitch/pseuds/FoxWitch
Summary: As outcasts and misfits, they can only hope to survive and nothing more. They had no right to ask for more. Still somehow, they dreamed of more.A fantasy AU in which merman prince Sanji is injured and "captured" by the impoverished Strawhat pirates.





	1. The Shallows

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, who let this happen? This wasn't supposed to be multiple chapters. I just wanted to bully Sanji a little. And now there's too much already written to just STOP…

Along the shores in the shallows of the reef, the sun illuminated the world in a way it never did in the open sea. The thousand colors of coral and fish came in perfect clarity and the waters near the surface were as warm as an embrace. Large predators rarely wandered in these cramped places, save for one, and this stretch of beach was too rocky and sheer for many of those. A lesser merman might have found himself letting his guard down. Like hell Sanji would act so foolishly. He had a reason to be here, of course. He wasn't _sunbathing_. He was just resting, letting the current pull him along its lazy route.

The summer heat melted deep into his skin, flashing off the golden scales of his tail. The blond halo of his hair obscured his vision occasionally, but he didn't bother to move it as he inspected the coral beneath him. An orange and white striped spiral caught his eye and he snatched it up for inspection. No sign of life inside, and not a chip to be seen. Absently, he stuffed the shell into the bag at this side.

Monotonous as this was, he felt more irritated than bored. Two weeks ago, he screwed up a tuna hunt and ended up on the receiving end of his family's attention. Happy were the days he was ignored, but any sign of weakness and suddenly he was the star of the court.

He plucked another shell, finding a small crab cringing inside. He tossed it back to the white sand with too much force, feeling immediately guilty. He stayed in the spot for a moment longer until the crab wiggled from its protection to scuttle beneath a shelf coral, unharmed.

Judge hardly paid him more than a few passive-aggressive words as usual, nothing he couldn't handle. Sanji's brothers, however, delighted in the news and the opportunity to torment him. It was his sister, Reiju, who so expertly dropped a rumor about an upstart merman to the south who talked of revolution. Distracted with a new target to tear apart, they left Sanji alone. Of course, this favor came with a price. Now Sanji was combing the shallows like a child for pretty shells.

It was even more infuriating that Reiju knew he would enjoy this opportunity to swim so close to the surface. It stank of double-favors. As much as he hated it, this was a far better result. He could search the shoreline for seashells as long as he needed to without interruption. How lovely.

Sanji shifted to push his face into the air. His lungs expanded and burned outside the water, but settled after a few breaths. The world outside extended much further than underwater. The cliff-face climbed high with waves splashing against it. Beyond were the trees. Without seeing them, Sanji knew there were human settlements some miles beyond that.

Back below, Sanji again turned his attention to the colorful shells dotting the seafloor. It wasn't anything he saw that tipped him off. Rather, it was the lack of movement of any fish that made him propel forward with a single powerful stroke of his tail. The water above him churned violently, and Sanji glanced back to see that he had narrowly avoided the charge of a _massive_ shark.

Sanji's jaw dropped and he very much wanted to wonder just what the hell this thing was doing in the shallows, but he was far too busy _swimming the fuck away_. The predator's striped side only flashed for a moment before it pointed teeth-ward at the merman and gave chase. Sanji dashed through the reef, far more frantic than he would be in open water. He was easily the fastest mer in the kingdom with even his brothers barely keeping his pace. But this wasn't the open, this was a maze where one bad maneuver would rip him apart.

Jaws snapped at his tail when a turn scraped him painfully against a patch of razor coral. He tried to make towards deeper water, but the giant fish met him there and matched pace. _It's trying to force me to shore_ , Sanji thought in dawning terror. If he got pinned against the rocks…

The depth became shallow enough that Sanji could barely make a full stroke of his tail before it surfaced or hit the sand. His top fin skimmed the surface. The shark's back wasn't even submerged anymore. The merman's heart jumped when he spotted a patch of darker blue ahead. The mouth of a cove. With the help of depth, he could outmaneuver the shark and break for the open sea. With a final burst of speed, he passed through the rocks-

And immediately came to a forced stop. It was so jarring, Sanji had time for only two thoughts; One, he was tangled in whatever he hit. And two, the shark just bit him.

Sanji screamed, tasting the dark bloom of his own blood. It was a poorly aimed strike, teeth ripping open his side instead of taking a chunk out of him. The shark turned sharply for another attempt. Sanji could only react, tearing at the thick cords around him and kicking his tail as hard as he could. The shark narrowly dodged the beat of his tail, but managed to close its teeth over his fin and drag them out again. The bite had torn something besides his fin, because suddenly Sanji could move his tail more freely. The next time the shark charged, Sanji delivered the most powerful kick of his life directly into its eye.

Stunned, the creature listed to the side before darting to deeper water. Sanji used this opportunity to struggle with what he could now see was a human-made net. Clumsy in panic, he ripped and pulled at the lines, unable to stop the instinctive flailing of his tail. The blood clouded his vision as he watched desperately for the predator.

Whether injured or frightened by the blow, the shark didn't return. Sanji's thrashes faded to trembles, too hurt and exhausted to continue. Adrenaline depleted, he could now take inventory. The net was in ruins, both from the shark's teeth and Sanji's own efforts. It didn't do him much good, if anything it made the tangling worse. The cords stretched and crisscrossed over his limbs, some imbedded so tightly his circulation cut off. His breath came in uneven. One of the cords wrapped around his throat, forcing one of his gills closed. The other could open, but another cord rested precariously over it.

Scratches from the coral littered the length of his body and tail. Sanji winced when his eyes passed over the wound on his flank, just above his scales. His skin hung in a sickening flap, blood steadily seeping out. It hurt enough to look at, but now that he was no longer numbed with panic, he could enjoy feeling it too. Listlessly, he decided it wouldn't bleed out as long as he stitched it up enough to get home.

Finally, he settled on his tail fin. Shredded. His heart clenched as he saw the tattered flesh and he thought he might cry. Would it even heal properly in that condition? What if that beast had just crippled him?

It wasn't at all a moment he expected to hear laughter. Sanji whipped his head up, catching the flash of a glossy green body as another merman snickered into view. Sanji groaned. If he had to choose which of his brothers found him like that, he would pick another shark, but at least it wasn't Ichiji.

Yonji circled above him mildly, inspecting the lines leading to the surface then down to Sanji's injury. "God, that thing wrecked you. I even brought you a small one, dumbass," he needled.

He…what. "You absolute shithead! Have you lost your fucking mind?" Sanji snarled while Yonji roared with laughter.

The larger merman grabbed the line and yanked up, drawing the cord around Sanji's neck closed. Sanji choked and thrashed feebly. "I don't like your tone," Yonji said, shaking him. "I didn't put this net here, you know. That was all your fuck up." Eventually, he let go of the line, letting Sanji catch his breath.

Sanji seethed, livid at both his insane brother and himself. There was also a pinprick of hurt under that. There was certainly no love to be lost between them, but none of his brothers had ever come so close to actually killing him before. For all the abuse, somehow he assumed there was a line that wouldn't be crossed. He was such a fucking idiot for thinking so.

"Just…hurry up and free me," Sanji growled tiredly.

"Hmm…," Yonji considered the net critically, "Nah."

Sanji bared his teeth, "What do you want?"

This brought another huff out of the green merman, "You think you have anything I want?"

"This isn't a fucking joke, Yonji, I'll die if you leave me here. Judge will be pissed if he has to pay for a funeral."

"Yeah, probably," said Yonji. He moved closer and fiddled with Sanji's side, much to the blond's relief. It was short lived as Yonji deftly released the strap of Sanji's bag. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Reiju gets her shells. I don't want you haunting me due to unfinished business."

Yonji laughed again and turned away with a flick of his tail. Sanji watched stunned that the merman was actually leaving. "Yonji! Wait!" He shouted. "Yonji! Fuck, come back you asshole! Yonji!" He called out long after his brother disappeared into the depths beyond.

Everything was in that bag. His knife. His sutures. His rations. Everything to escape alive.

"FUCK!" Sanji screamed into the currents, as he could do nothing else.


	2. The Slums

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any typos, I have no beta and poor sobriety.

Along the outskirts of the city in the slums, the sun barely touched anything as it did in the inner city. Shaded as it was by the great walls, it could be hidden from those who lived a more lovely life. Being unseen was not the worst of things, the swordsman had learned. Zoro walked the street at his own pace, an arm slung over the three swords strapped to his waist. His stroll would be unimpeded with no one caring enough to greet him. And with nobody watching, he could do what he needed to in order to survive.

Which is why it was so goddamn infuriating when a boy in a straw hat shot past him with a quick "Hey, Zoro!" while two guardsmen gave chase.

"It's the swordsman! He's with Strawhat!" One of them barked.

Oh good, they recognized him. Zoro turned heel and followed after the boy. Catching up, they ducked into a side-street where they leapt over a pile of rusted out equipment. The obstacle did little to impede their pursuers who cleared it with just as much ease. Not your typical guard dogs, then. Zoro pulled closer to the other. "Luffy, what-" he started, but stumbled when he spotted the package in the boy's arms, "What the _hell_ did you do?"

"Oh," Luffy glanced down at the package for a moment before knocking over a cart behind them. "I stole it."

"No shit-" Zoro nearly missed the next turn before Luffy snapped out an arm to drag him in the right direction. They – or at least Luffy – knew the streets better than any hired city goon. So Zoro felt perfectly comfortable taking a swing at the younger man as they ran while Luffy giggled like a child. The chase ended in the same place it often did. In the maze of side-streets, one corner led to a tiny shed off to the side, short enough for the two to jump on and up to the rooftops. Instead of continuing, they waited until the guardsmen turned the corner below them. They then dropped into the opposite street where they could run back in the direction they came from. Whether the men kept running or stopped to search, the pair of criminals were free to slip unnoticed into the shadows.

They continued running in silence for some time longer, canny enough to not tempt fate by relaxing too soon. Breathlessly, they reached a wooden hovel tucked into some obscure corner. The pair stopped short and scanned the streets in opposite directions. Satisfied, they pulled the wooden board from the entrance and ducked inside.

The interior was warmer than the summer heat outside, unpleasantly so. The culprit was likely the candles being used by the two occupants, sparse heat accumulating in the tiny space. The red-headed girl perched in her corner bunk glanced up. "Guys?" She closed her book, startled, "You're not normally back until later."

"Hi, Nami!" Luffy greeted, "Oh, Usopp is here, too!"

Said Usopp set down whatever he was working on at the bench and removed his goggles over curly black hair. It left rings around his eyes where his tanned skin grew even darker with filth. "The heck happened to you guys? You're even sweatier than usual."

Zoro would like to know that himself. With a defeated sigh, he set his swords aside and settled into his usual place against the wall. "Luffy, tell them what you did," he said.

Luffy held out the package with a huge grin. "I stole it!" He declared.

Nami crossed the room in a blink to deliver a heavy blow to the young man's head. "Dumbass!" She shrieked while Luffy wailed.

"You steal stuff all the time!" He whined, kneeling to retrieve the object he dropped in the assault.

" _I_ know what I'm doing," Nami argued, snatching it from his hands. "What did you even take?"

"Dunno."

Nami raised her fist again, but Luffy quickly bolted to Zoro's side as if the swordsman would get in her way. She tore open the package, looked inside with a deep frown, then upturned the contents onto Usopp's workbench while he squeaked "Hey-"

Eagerly, Luffy approached to inspect the spoils. From his position on the floor, Zoro could see his face fall. "Aw, none of this is food," he pouted.

Nami took a deep breath. "Why do you do it to me, Luffy?" She questioned. Zoro didn't bother to look himself. If Nami wasn't excited, he had no reason to be.

"Can't you sell it or something?" Luffy pressed.

"Who's going to fence it? It's junk!"

Luffy finally sank to the ground with a muttered apology. Nami rolled her eyes and stepped over him to return to the book in her little perch. Usopp scratched his face as he watched his friend moping on the floor before moving the "junk" away from his work place. "Oh, Zoro. I made you something," he said, picking out a small metal object, "You know. To help with the fish poaching."

"I'm not poaching fish." He was definitely poaching fish, but only because the law was fucking stupid. The nobles could declare whatever they wanted, but fuck them if they thought they owned all the fish in the sea. Zoro wouldn't buy a license even if he could afford one.

"Mm, with hooks like these you are," Usopp gloated with a nod. "They're too effective. People caught so many fish with these they started going extinct, see? So the government outlawed them and had the inventor executed. The design was thought to be lost to time, until now, of course. I came upon the blueprint in a hidden-"

It just looked like a fish hook to Zoro. He snatched it up quickly and turned to gather his supplies before he had to learn any more origin stories. Nami called, "If you're going hunting, take Luffy. I'd like to see you back in a few days instead of weeks."

Zoro grumbled at the barb, but didn't refuse when Luffy sat up, bright-eyed. The boy scrambled to collect his own gear while Zoro peeked out the entrance. One of the neighbors ambled by, so Zoro elected to wait.

Usopp made a frustrated noise and moved to Nami when Luffy arrived behind Zoro. "Nami, you're a girl. Will she like it?" The tinker asked. Zoro didn't catch her reply as they slipped through the passage.

In the familiar warrens they turned and twisted through the best route outside. The previous commotion had them on alert. They spotted the rare patrol with a dog near the edge of town, not normally bothering with these areas. While Zoro rarely caused trouble, Luffy seemed to raise hell no matter where he went. No telling if the dog would recognize his scent.

They stationed next to a barrel of fish guts until they were certain the danger passed. In the heat it putrefied in less than a day. The two gagged until they cleared the slums into the rural outskirts.

They took the lesser used road to the east where the ground was too rocky and uneven for good farmland. To Zoro's disdain, someone was building a homestead along their usual path. This time, a couple of men worked near the footpath. A thick older man hammered out a fence, while a few feet away another stood at a bench butchering something.

The older of the two hardly glanced up from his work, while the other paused his actions entirely to leer. Zoro kept his eyes forward.

"Strays," the senior muttered, "Leave them be. They're off to hunt frogs to eat."

Zoro took that as permission. He kept his body turned politely away as they passed. No trouble, just walking. Luffy gave no indication of having heard. They scarcely took two steps beyond the men when a bone skittered across their path.

"Hey," the younger man called out. "You hungry?" He stretched out an arm, dangling a shank from his fingers, "Come on. You, the skinny one. Come over here and do us a favor and I'll give it to you." Zoro went still. The older of the two raised a skeptical eyebrow, but eyed Luffy same as his partner and said nothing. The younger tried again, "Come on now. It's better than frogs, isn't it?"

They didn't see the tense set of Zoro's shoulders, or how tightly he gripped Wado's hilt. "Zoro," at his side, Luffy watched him with dark eyes on a blank expression. Zoro released his grip, and the two continued forward. The young man scoffed, but didn't call out again.

They traveled long after the road disappeared. The Deep Woods were off-limits to most folk according to the law. Not that many people cared to wander the place, what with it being a nest of monsters. For people like Zoro who didn't care for the law and vice-versa, it was a source of food and income. There wasn't much market for monster meat, but luckily their resident glutton wasn't too picky. Some of their parts were worth something at least, as luck charms or dick enhancers or whatever the hell rich people decided that week. Between the things Luffy and he caught, the goods Usopp produced with scavenged parts, and the things Nami stole, they could all survive on the fringes.

Survive, and nothing more.

Until the edge of the forest, they stayed quiet. Until that point, Luffy stared straight ahead before opening his mouth. "We're going to leave this place," he said. "We'll go wherever we want. Just you wait."

Zoro did not reply. As he didn't dare believe him, he could do nothing else.


	3. The Catch

Sanji was not terribly surprised by his death. Well, by the tone if not the method. Alone in obscurity. He did not go easily. After determining that Yonji would not return, Sanji again attempted to untangle his limbs. Every pull at his wound had him seizing in pain. He kept his movements slow and methodical.  The net had him bent at an odd angle, so he could not fully see how the cords were situated. Hours passed. The attempts became briefer and the periods between longer. Instead of regaining his strength, he grew weaker until he hung limp. Suspended like fish bait. His wound bled out steadily, disturbed by his efforts no matter how delicate. He couldn't seem to catch his breath half-choked as he was. It was only at this point he began to accept he wasn't leaving here alive.

Everything went to shit so quickly, it didn't seem fair for this part to take so long. Judge would be annoyed by the inconvenience, but relieved to be rid of him. His brothers would find it funny. He wondered what they would do for fun without him around. Reiju might care. But she wouldn't mourn. The old man would be disappointed, he supposed. It was that thought he clung to in his hazy consciousness.

Sanji's body shifted abruptly. He came back to awareness and searched the water. Maybe the shark had come to finish him off. Instead, it was the net that was jerking around him. Ah. Sanji had kinda hoped he'd be gone before this part. He inhaled as deeply as he could before the cords around his gills pulled closed when the net made its ascent.

He broke the surface and reflexively took a gulp of dry air. The drag onto the rocks ignited his injuries and he would have screamed if he had the energy. When his weight settled, he looked up, finding a human face looking back at him with dark, owlish eyes.

Then, a huge smile split the boy's face and he squealed, "Wooow! It's huuuge! We're gonna eat so much meat!"

What the _fuck-_

"Luffy knock it off! It's a person, it's-" A second voice broke off when another man rushed into view. He was larger, with green hair cropped short. His expression shifted from alarm, to confusion, to astonishment, "It's a mermaid."

The younger of the pair, a lanky black-haired boy, blinked heavily before his face snapped back, "EHHH!? It's a mermaid!?"

" _Pay attention_ -!"

Sanji let his head drop to the rocky ground. Of course dealing with morons in his final moments would be the shit cherry atop his shitty life. The pain and the air gave him a cruel burst of consciousness. The taller man touched something at his side – a weapon – and his expression darkened. Like hell Sanji would let them take him easily.

"Luffy, get away from it-"

With the last of his strength, Sanji wrenched his tail forward and struck Luffy's head. The other man leapt into action, pinning him to the rocks with sword drawn. Sanji had nothing left in him, and awaited the final blow.

"Wait! Zoro!" Luffy's voice interrupted. The swordsman stayed his hand. Sanji's stared in astonishment as the younger man picked himself off the ground, dusting his hat. Even weakened as he was, a hit like that should have snapped the boy's neck.

Luffy tested his shoulder, then regarded Zoro and the pinned merman. "It's just hurt and scared, right?" He said simply, "Should we help it?"

Zoro paused, not taking his eyes off Sanji before speaking slowly, "Luffy, it's a monster. We kill it and sell it to the guildmaster."

"Hey jackass, I'm not an 'it' and I can hear you," Sanji griped. If they wanted to plot his murder right in front of him, they could listed to him complain about it.

Zoro cursed, but Luffy brightened, "You can talk! Zoro, monsters don't talk." The swordsman grumbled, but removed himself. Luffy crouched at the merman's shoulder. "I'm Luffy, and this is Zoro. We're pirates! What's your name?"

"Pirates…"

"Well, not yet, but soon I think." The boy rattled on some more while Sanji lay as a trapped audience. His head started to pound. Right, the dying…

The boy seemed to sense the change, "Right, sorry. Zoro, help me out." The two men gingerly hefted Sanji away from the water and further into the cove where they sat him against its cool shaded walls. Luffy pulled a medical kit from his bag and took to treating the most grievous wound on the merman's side. Sanji squeamishly looked away, but didn't resist. He didn't have anything better to do. If the juvenile fumbling was any indication, the stitching would be hideous. Luffy continued to talk at him in his chirping voice, as though trying to distract him. The swordsman rested against a rock formation opposite of them, eyeing him and saying nothing.

Eventually, the boy reached for his tail. Sanji moved it away. "Don't," he said. He didn't need his fin any more butchered than it already was. Luffy relented, but set the kit in Sanji's reach.

"I've never seen a mermaid before," Luffy marveled as he sat back on his heels. "Where do you live? Are there houses underwater? What's your name? How do you poop?"

"I'm not a- _what_ -" Sanji started, abandoning halfway.

Fortunately, the swordsman cursed from where he wandered to the water's edge. "This net is done for," he said, fingering the frayed cords.

"I'm not sorry," Sanji muttered, earning a baleful look from the swordsman.

"Usopp can fix it," Luffy tried. His face scrunched while he took in the damage. "Probably." He walked to the other end of the cove and pulled at more lines. Another net came into view, this one with a few small fish slapping as they surfaced. Zoro followed to inspect the sparse catch. Sanji wasn't surprised. With sharks and mermen bloodying up the water, he doubted their preferred fair would hang around.

The two gathered up the catch and strung them together before resetting the net. The swordsman returned to his post across from Sanji, still watching him, unreadable.

Luffy plopped down next to Sanji again, still gawking rudely. "You'll be safe here," he assured. "No one ever comes this deep in the forest. No ships either. It's like a secret base."

"Luffy," said Zoro, "You should take these fish and the net back if you're going to make it before dark."

Luffy frowned, "But I want to stay."

"The others need the fish. Since someone fucked up our good net, I'm gonna stay and try for something bigger. I'll be back in a couple days."

The younger man squirmed, but eventually gave in, "Okay. But I'll be back to pick you up."

"I can get home on my own, damn it."

"Haha, no you can't," Luffy grinned before turning to Sanji. "You can't go anywhere until I get back, okay?" He insisted. "I wanna hear all about the ocean!"

The merman couldn't help but smile a little at that. "I don't think I'm going anywhere," he answered wearily.

The boy gathered up his supplies and the string of fish. As he climbed up the rocks at the mouth of the cove, he pointed a finger at Zoro. "Don't forget to feed him, Zoro, I mean it!" He said sternly, then climbed out of view.

Zoro made a non-committal sound. He and the merman stared each other down until the sounds of Luffy's scrabbling disappeared. The swordsman was still and tense. Sanji glanced down to the man's side, where he rested a hand over the hilt of one of his swords.

"I'd be dead right now if that kid wasn't around, right?" Sanji spoke first. "Is that why you stayed behind?"

Zoro didn't answer right away, but the severe expression on his face said enough. Then, he asked in a deep, rumbling voice, "Does eating mermaid flesh really give you immortality?"

Sanji huffed. "Never tried it," he replied.

The answer didn't matter. The only thing that counted was that others believed it. Zoro stood and approached. Sanji shut his eyes. The footsteps stopped in front of him and the human shuffled with something. "Hold out your hands," the man said. Sanji looked. Instead of a sword, Zoro held a length of rope. Sanji glared and didn't move. The swordsman exhaled in frustration, then forced the merman to the ground. It was not difficult.


	4. The Indecision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. I personally don't feel this fic requires specialized tags, but there will be some darker themes and explicit sexual content that you might find in general adult fiction. Sensitive readers please practice discretion.

Zoro didn't have a lot of rules. He was too broke and hungry for that kind of luxury. Try not to steal from people who can't afford it, and don't kill people unless they really have it coming. That second one seemed a lot simpler earlier in the day. After binding the merman's wrists, he tied off the other end of the rope to a rock jutting from the cove walls. It was high enough that someone without legs would have a bitch of a time doing anything about it, injured or otherwise.

He shouldn't be dragging it out like this. He wished the creature would do or say something to betray a darker nature. Despite Luffy's protests, Zoro had encountered human-shaped monsters before. Some that could even speak, albeit they generally used their voices to lure prey. This bastard remained stubbornly passive, too busy lying on his side and drifting in and out of consciousness. Perhaps cowardly, Zoro hoped the thing would succumb on his own.

Zoro cast another line into water. They needed more meat.

It would really help if he was uglier. The stories of mermaids (or mermen in this case) were too true. He was gorgeous to look at, all burnished gold and sun-kissed skin. His eyes were the exact color of the sea he came out of. Unlike Zoro's broader frame, the merman's body was all whip-like muscle streamlined for speed. Although the little twist of a spiral at the end of his eyebrow was weird as hell.

_It's a monster_ , Zoro reminded himself. _Plenty of monsters are pretty._

Luffy thinks it's a person.

Damn it, would Luffy ever forgive him? The strawhatted idiot didn't know monster-hunting past chasing down and eating anything that wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. Zoro barely had him trained to stop chewing long enough for the swordsman to get its pelt off first. The younger man just didn't understand they had essentially fished up a chest full of gold. Not even locked. This wasn't some giant rat or a bear-cat. If the guildmaster found the right buyer, they could commission a damn _galleon_.

Zoro wouldn't be able to hide where that kind of money came from.

The rod in Zoro's hand bobbed abruptly and he flicked it to the side to set the hook. He reeled it in easily, catching another small fish that he added to the bucket of water. He hadn't lost any so far and vaguely wondered if the new hook really was to blame. When he checked again, the merman was sitting up with wrists in his lap, watching him.

The sun set over the sea, flooding the cove with its fading light. The merman's scales seemed to glow orange, and Zoro thought there might be more color in his skin than before. The creature was alert and focused despite his injuries.

Zoro thought about what Luffy said and took one of the fish from the bucket before approaching the merman. He tossed it near the creature's tail with a wet flop. "Here," he said, "Eat it."

The blond looked at him as though Zoro had just shat in his hand and threw it at him. "Yeah, how about you cook it first, you barbarian!" He snapped, "Or do you fucking apes not have fire yet?"

Zoro reeled at the outburst, "How the hell would I know you people cook food!?"

"The 'people' part might have tipped you off!"

"Excuse me for not knowing how you get _fire_ under-fucking-water!"

"I'll bet, with that marimo growing on your head, sapping out your brain."

"Goddamn it," Zoro laughed in a mad, desperate way while holding his head, "You talk _so much_ _shit_ for a guy with a target on his face." He should let the merman keep talking; this would be a lot easier. Before he could make any rash decisions, he snatched up the fish and set to make camp.

Zoro put together the fire first in the usual pit. It lit easily under his experienced hand. The wood Luffy and he had gathered before sat stacked and ready along the cove wall. The bedrolls they kept there were next. He pulled one and unraveled it. The summer sweltered on this island, but near the water the nights would be chilled.

Before the light faded, Zoro worked to clean the fish he caught. He clutched their bodies that writhed in suffocation. The knife sliced from anus to chin to reveal the innards. He slid his thumb deep through their bodies to remove the organs as they continued to twitch. He kept the guts in the bucket for future bait. It felt ordinary. When he finished, he skewered the fish and set them on the rocks over the fire to cook. As he settled by the fireside, the merman remained still.

Cutting the throat would be the quickest and the least damaging. The meat would be worth the most, he assumed. The scales would follow. He should be careful to leave them in one whole piece. The eyes and teeth maybe. Skull? The hair might be worth something. He should cut the entire scalp to get the roots, he shouldn't waste an inch…

"Turn it," the merman spoke, watching the fish.

"It's fine," Zoro replied.

" _Turn it_. You're overcooking the poor things, it's an insult."

Zoro glowered at the other. With one steady hand, he took the skewer closest to him and brought it to his face. Maintaining eye contact, he took a huge bite of the undercooked side.

The creature glared murder at him.

Without prompting, the merman shifted forward. It was a clumsy, painful movement. Slowly, like an injured seal, he dragged himself to the fire until he could reach. With trembling fingers he turned each stick around until the fish on the end faced opposite. He then returned to his place just as awkwardly, panting.

No…no. Zoro shouldn't butcher it first. He should take it in whole. The guildmaster might not believe it otherwise. The old bastard would think him a murderer trying to pass off human parts.

No words passed between them, only the crackling of the fire they stared at. After some time, the merman moved again. Zoro beat him to it, plucked one of the skewers, and leaned forward to offer it. The merman took it without comment.

The creature ate it slowly with small bites. He watched the fire blankly as he did so. When the bones were clean, he said quietly, "My name is Sanji."

Fuck, Zoro didn't want to know his name.

Maybe…he should take it in alive? Would that be better? If it struggled on the way someone might see-

"Oh for fuck's sake, are you doing this or not!?" The merman suddenly shouted, throwing the empty skewer at Zoro's head, which he dodged. "You've been eyeing me up and down for hours! Here, I'll walk you through it: pointy end goes in the monster." Sanji tossed his nose at the swordsman's side, "You even know how to use those fucking things? There's three of them. Can you count how many hands you have, algae-head?"

Zoro reflexively touched Wado's hilt, but otherwise didn't respond.

A stricken look passed over Sanji's face, falling to disgust. "No, that's not it, is it?" He laughed derisively. "Freak. You want something else first, you just don't know where to put it, do you? Is that why I'm tied up? This do something for you?"

Zoro bristled at the accusation. "You don't know me," he muttered darkly.

"No, I think I do," the monster smiled viciously, "Those shitty clothes and scars all over. You smell like _garbage_ , I can tell from here. You're some trash nobody looking for a quick payday. You and that stupid fucking kid-"

Zoro lunged. Sword drawn, he slammed a hand flat over the monster's chest and pinned it against the wall. He was angry, ready. A blue gaze stared him down, fierce and challenging. The pulse under his palm raced. Scared.

Zoro ripped his hand from the merman and walked away.

"What are you doing!?" Sanji demanded.

Zoro didn't know. He grabbed the thin blanket from his bedroll and threw it at Sanji hard. The merman flinched. "Go to sleep!" he barked.

Sanji took the blanket, shaking and baring his teeth. "What the fuck are you doing?" He demanded once more, "Why do you torture me like this? Is it _funny_ -?"

"I don't know what your problem is, but pick a different suicide," the swordsman stated. It shut them both up. Zoro kicked the fire dead before throwing himself to his bedroll with his back turned to the merman. He could still feel warm, human skin against his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will come a bit slower from this point. Most of this was written in a mad, merman-fueled frenzy.


	5. The Fetch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. I was job hunting. But employment has been acquired and we can all focus on what's really important. Merman Sanji.

When Sanji awoke, the swordsman was gone. He removed the rough linen that covered him to stretch, but came to an unsatisfying halt to curse the pull at his wound. Once he lifted himself and rubbed at the muscles stiffened against a hard stone floor, he finally found the courage to inspect his injury. The stitching was neater than expected. Not expert, but from a hand that was familiar with this procedure. The edges of the flesh glowed a faint red, however. To his side, Sanji found the medical kit the younger man left behind. From it, he removed a waxy salve that he smeared over the incision.

Next, Sanji checked the rope around his wrists. He hadn't struggled much, so the skin underneath was not too damaged. The slack remained enough for him to relax, but not return to the water. His scales were long dry. They itched, but Sanji often stayed on land much longer than this.

Fortunately, the human did not think much of his kind. Sanji could easily reach the tether. If he tried. The length of Sanji's tail curled beneath him. With a great breath, he hefted his weight on the base. The nerves in his fin ignited and he tumbled to the rough ground. Fuck. _Fuck_. Sanji checked his fin. The way the flesh parted and bled, he couldn't even hope to swim with it.

Sanji opened the medkit again and selected the sutures. The spool still held a few rolls of thread. Grimly, he began the task of stitching himself back together. If it wasn't too late. He clenched his teeth at every fleshy puncture. The wet slide of the thread through skin had him shuddering. He progressed agonizingly slow with his hands bound as they were. There were so many pieces torn apart. There were pieces _missing_. He choked back sobs by the end of it.

He sat gasping, clutching the needle and thread. He dared not try any more until his hands were free. The transparent flesh parted too thinly for the handicap. Already he looked like a doll made by a child, stitching black and apparent, running in jagged lines.

Naturally, this would be the time a pair of shapes slipped into the cove beneath the surface. Sanji rubbed the wet from his eyes and situated himself against the wall. With wrists to the side of his tail and line pressed against his shoulder, Sanji concealed most of the rope with his body.

The lithe figures oriented themselves in the mid-tide surf. First a green, and then a blue head popped from the waters. Sanji's brothers, Yonji and Niji treaded some feet below with sharp grins.

Niji greeted, "Well, you're more animated than I was led to believe."

"Sorry to disappoint," Sanji answered shortly.

"Don't say that," the elder brother drawled. "You're giving yourself too much credit. A shark is too realistic. I figure it's a shellfish or something that'll do you in."

Hah, funny, or at least Yonji thought so. The two enjoyed their slight, laughing while their eyes glinted towards Sanji. Expectant. Waiting. Always.

Sanji reacted accordingly, it was easier to just let them have it, "Right, it'll be horrible and hilarious. In the meantime, what the hell are you here for?"

Yonji scowled while Niji chuckled. "Father sent us to collect your body," the blue merman answered. "Said we shouldn't be letting humans have it. He called Yonji a goddamn idiot-"

" _Shut up_ ," Yonji barked, throwing a punch that Niji dodged by diving. The larger merman circled once, striking again when Niji tried to surface. Niji returned the favor with a swipe on the tail before the two returned to the shore in a mutual truce.

Sanji rolled his eyes and maintained his posture. "I don't need any help," he pointed out, "so you can go and tell Judge the bad news."

"Who said anything about help?" Niji hoisted himself onto the rocks and used his tail to lift himself further on shore before continuing, "But I'll admit, I'm surprised you freed yourself. Yonji said you looked pretty pathetic when he last saw you."

"More than usual," Yonji quipped, to Niji's amusement.

There was no escaping notice when Niji arrived closer. Sanji resigned himself as his brother's eyes zeroed in on the rope. "But you _didn't_ , did you?" He cackled.

Drawn by the exclamation, Yonji joined the two mermen on the cove floor. He echoed Niji's reaction, "Holy shit! Did some fisherman make you his wife, Sanji?"

There was no correct answer, so Sanji did not bother. "I said I have it handled," he seethed instead, "so kindly fuck off."

The brothers traded a look before Niji tossed his nose up and said, "So go on, let's see it."

Sanji ignored them for a tense moment.

Without warning, Yonji threw a heavy fist into Sanji's cheek. At the same time Niji, however, aimed for the injury at his side. Sanji's mouth gaped in a silent scream as he crumpled, his body trapped in a convulsion of agony.

Yonji snatched the blond's hair and yanked him upwards before shoving him against the cove wall. "Do it. Escape."

Sanji remained still for a time longer, half out of defiance and half trying to avoid vomiting. Then, he blankly pulled his tail under him as before and pushed upward to reach the rope. Expected, but muted until that moment, the stitches in his fin ripped apart and sent him toppling to the ground.

He wouldn't scream.

"Unbelievable," Yonji chuckled, covering his face in a large palm. "Serves you right. You actually match that old bastard now!" The two each took a final kick at Sanji's prone form before returning to the water.

Niji smirked above the tide, "Can you guess what we're going to do now?"

"Nothing," Sanji replied evenly, "Because Judge sent you for a corpse and there isn't one."

Niji laughed sardonically, "Got it in one."

On their way out, Yonji crossed the cove to the nearby net. Pulling a knife from his bag (it might have been Sanji's, that prick), Yonji sliced several of the lines. Niji took this opportunity to chase off or kill the fish that escaped, kicking up the blood to spook any newcomers.

Sanji was petty enough to be amused by the destruction before the feeling soured in his stomach.

When the churning died down and the brothers retreated into the depths, Sanji rested back against the wall. Somehow he felt much calmer than before the encounter. He wondered if Judge would be more pissed at Sanji's predicament or his uncontrollable soldiers playing loose with his orders. Obvious answer, of course, but Sanji almost took solace in that. Someday those unnatural monsters would doom them all and Sanji would be witness to it. If he lived long enough. His side throbbed. He stared off into the horizon and didn't bother to tend his wounds further.

Two hours or so passed before the swordsman returned. He climbed down the rocks at the mouth of the cove, barely glancing in Sanji's direction. He was shirtless and covered in sweat, unsurprising as the temperature climbed in the progressing day.

"Where'd you run off to?" Sanji asked.

The swordsman dropped his bag and passed the merman briskly. "Hunting," he answered. Sanji didn't have to ask how that went, seeing as the man's hands were empty. Zoro reached the other end of the cove and froze. He uncovered the remains of his net, before rounding on Sanji.

"It wasn't me."

"Do you think this is fucking funny?" Zoro shouted, brandishing the ruined net, "My friends can't eat without this!"

"I'm a tied up _cripple_ , it wasn't me!" Sanji responded with more force.

Zoro frowned, eyes landing on his split lip and the blood seeping from his agitated wounds. "What did that?" He demanded.

Sanji shifted. "Couple of clownfish," he replied evasively.

Zoro seemed about done trying. He tossed the net to the ground and stomped back to his fishing gear. "Nothing but bad luck since you turned up," he groused, preparing a line. "Shouldn't you grant a wish for us saving you or something?"

"Fresh out of wishes," Sanji watched the swordsman's back while he worked. Zoro neatly threaded reflective scales along the line, ending with a hook and the slopping remains of the previous night's catch. Sanji got a taste of his strength after getting manhandled so much, but with the subtraction of clothes, he could really appreciate how fucking ripped the guy was. The thick muscles on his arms extended to the rest of his back and across his broad shoulders. Unlike the smattering of scars along his limbs, his back was surprisingly clear. The only exception was a long-healed welt that looked suspiciously like a lash.

The merman had no idea why he tried so hard to goad the man into killing him instead of appealing for his life. Being spared once was not a guarantee to his continued survival. He was so fucking certain he would wake with a sword in this throat last night and now he didn't know what to do with himself.

He hardly knew a thing about humans beyond they would kill merfolk on sight. Humans kept their own company. They didn't speak or trade with the dwarves or the fair folk. He'd seen their ships and their sunken remains, though. He knew what a pirate was. This man was dangerous.

The swordsman would inevitably change his mind. But Sanji would take his advantages while he still could.

"Oi," the merman called out. Zoro turned. "Since we decided against killing me, can we lose the bracelets, too?" He asked, lifting his hands.

The swordsman regarded him suspiciously.

Sanji rolled his eyes, still holding out his arms insistently. Zoro let him stew like that for some moments longer before relenting and cutting him loose. The merman paused with his arms still extended while the swordsman returned to work. He…hadn't actually expected that to work.

Too much. He can't formulate a plan if none of the pieces match together.

The merman knocked his head against the wall and sighed dramatically. "If I have to be rescued by humans, why couldn't it be a beautiful woman? I don't want to be saved by a caveman," he lamented. Zoro grunted and ignored him. Sanji persisted, "She'd be a poor fisherwoman, just trying to get by. But inside, a pure-hearted maiden who would even rescue an unworthy merman like me. I'd take her away from this awful place, I'd show her a new world and she'd be the princess she was always meant to be! Ahh~! My lady, I'm waiting for you!"

"Will you shut the hell up already!" Zoro snapped.

"Don't interfere with my destiny, you joyless seaweed!"

"Your squealing is scaring the fish, love-guppy."

"How could a plant know what love is? Know your place!"

"If you're gonna bitch about being captured and then bitch about being rescued, I'll just tie you up again. And gag you this time!"

Sanji straightened, affronted. "I don't _bitch_ , and don't you dare lay another hand on me!" He retorted, "I'll have you know I'm a prince back home."

The swordsman considered this in surprise, hands pausing over the fishing line. "There a reward for rescuing you?" He asked.

Sanji grit his teeth, suddenly feeling very foolish. He slumped against the wall. "No," he answered shortly.

That sort of awkward exchange ate at Sanji until the swordsman extended his arm with a rod in hand. "You're bored," stated the human, "Come here and earn your keep."

Sanji's immediate reaction was to challenge this, but he bit his tongue. This posturing could only last so long before one of them lost their temper enough to turn physical. Sanji didn't like his odds in his current condition. Despite his efforts, the swordsman refused to rise to anywhere near the point of last night. Sanji began to feel like the asshole here.

That and he was tired of looking like an invalid in front of the shitty swordsman. Sanji dragged himself to the water's edge as gracefully as circumstances allowed (not at all), and took the rod without looking. It felt heavy in hands. Rods were something kids used when they were still too slow to hunt with a spear. Being Judge's son and expected to be "superior", Sanji sure as hell was never allowed that kind of consideration no matter how small he was.

Zoro kept his attention firmly on the rods. No questions or small talk. Though he surely kept Sanji in his peripheral for any sign of danger, the swordsman did not look directly.

The silence suited Sanji just fine since he hated just about everything that came out of the brute's mouth. On the other hand, the guy had clearly never met a merman before, he should at least have the decency to be _curious_.

Sanji was curious.

The merman returned the indifference. It seemed safer. Zoro caught a fish. Sanji caught one, heart racing when he managed to bring it to shore with no incident. He kept his excitement down with practiced ease to avoid any teasing. The human took the fish aside with no comment.

He lost one later, and the swordsman said nothing.

Near twilight, the same routine took place. The human cleaned the fish and lit a fire, this time setting up a second bedroll where the merman could rest. Without the anxiety of their previous encounter, Sanji was famished and cleaned off the meal with no hesitation.

Zoro's appetite seemed similar and they did not leave any leftovers from the modest catch. Once the sun fully settled, the swordsman stood and kicked the fire to ash.

"Can't we keep the fire?" Sanji asked.

"No," Zoro replied. At Sanji's crooked brow, he explained, "Ships don't come to shore here, but if a ship further out sees the light, it could be a problem."

After some thought, the merman observed, "You're not supposed to be here."

Zoro made a quiet sound of assent.

With no light for further conversation, the two situated themselves in their bedrolls and drifted into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
